The Dark Knight
by RacheLuvMe
Summary: During Edward's rebellious years, he hunts the "bad guys" the ones that corner young girls in dark alleys. What if Bella was one of those poor helpless girls? Will Edward become her Knight-in-Shining-armor? Or is the darkness he's fallen into too much?


**Author's Note: **Hi, So it's been years since I've put anything up on this site...I've been busy? haha sorry no good excuse. Anyway this idea just sort of came to me. I don't know how long it's going to be yet, but I'm pretty excited about it. Give me some feedback please. I would love it. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer is a genius, and if I was as genius as her, I wouldn't be writing stories about her characters. I'd be creating my own. But alas, I am not as genius as her, so I am borrowing her characters for a brief story. Keyword being borrow because I do not own them.

Chapter One: Streetlight

A single streetlight flickered in the distance. Certainly not that far. If I could make it a couple hundred feet, I'd be under the glaring light of the lamp and perfectly safe. The streetlight, that's all I need. A goal, something to work towards, something to keep my mind off the intimidating night that was slinking up behind. I should have just accepted his offer. Right now, I'd be feeling quite safe with his muscular arm wrapped tightly around my shoulder. But I remembered that the reason I had declined was because he had recently been a little too eager to get me alone. Letting him walk me home was sure to give him the wrong idea. But really, it was only a couple of blocks, and I was perfectly capable of walking those few blocks to my own apartment. But now, it was dark. I no longer felt capable of walking myself home. At this time, the few blocks seemed far too many for me to navigate on my own. The small number of stars that had speckled the night earlier were wiped from the sky by a menacing cloud that had expanded to ensnare the moon as well. I was alone, and very well aware of that fact.

I took a deep breath, as if preparing to plunge into a swimming pool, and stepped into the alley. A chill danced up my spine immediately, but I kept walking. _The streetlamp_, _the streetlamp_. It was just on the other side of the alley. _Only a little way to go Bells_. The alley was much darker than the sidewalk outside had been, even though I was getting closer and closer to the streetlamp with every shaking step.

Perhaps I should have taken the long way, but the thought of being out in this darkness longer than was necessary made a short little trip between two harmless  
buildings seem like the better option. Now, of course, I could see that I had made a slight error in judgment. Breathe in, take a step. Breathe out, take another. Breathe in take a step, breathe out, take another. That was how I found myself in the middle of the alley. My eyes were squinted shut, only allowing for minimal viewing of the surroundings. They were trained straight ahead, gazing at the streetlight unblinkingly, for to blink surely would have meant immediate death.

A shadow leaped into my field of vision. It was blocking the streetlight. I froze. The shadow had a man-shaped figure attached. It was a big shadow. My eyelids sprang open to their full capacity. Squinting would not save me. Now of course, with the aid of the streetlight, I could see that it wasn't one shadow, but three. The single figure in which I had based all my fear had now multiplied into three frighteningly huge men. But maybe they hadn't seen me. I clung to that thought like I'd clung to the streetlight. However, the streetlight was useless now and so was my hope that I had not been spotted. They were moving into the alley.

My feet were glued to the pavement. I couldn't make my body move. The men were taking long, quick strides deeper into the alley, all the while getting closer and closer. I, however, remained frozen. Each of the men must have been over six feet tall. They clomped toward me in huge boots and laughed darkly as if I was their own private little joke. The middle one had colossal shoulders that looked as though they belonged to a linebacker, the man to his left stared lecherously, looking me up and down, and the last one was holding a knife. I tried to process all of this and send a message from my brain to my legs to get a move on already, but they stubbornly refused. I was suddenly grateful that Mike hadn't walked me home. One casualty tonight was more than enough. We would have been no match for these three mutants. He was safe at Jessica's house but I, on the other hand, was not.

I tried to move, lifted the baby toe of my right foot. Good! Then the rest of my toes, then the entire foot. I pivoted on the spot, sparing only a brief glance behind me to the fast-approaching pursuers, and began to run. I ran as fast as I could, back through the loathsome alley.

But I had wasted too much time.

They were gaining on me. I could feel the middle one's presence just feet away. Maybe this man _had_ been a linebacker at some point in his life, because his impressive girth did not lend itself to such a high speed runner. I was doomed, and so close to the opening of the alley. I put on my last burst of speed, desperate to make it back to the mouth of the alley, but it wasn't enough. His beefy hand snatched my arm in a death grip. I could feel my arm beginning to bruise as he seized the other arm and dragged me back into the darkness of the alley.

I kicked at his shins and yanked my arms and wriggled my body, trying anything that might make him release his grasp on me. I simply wasn't strong enough. He shoved me into the brick wall of the alley and pressed his body close. I could smell alcohol on his breath and feel his muscles. I was no match for him, and he had backup. The other two men were crowding close, wanting a piece of the prize. I trembled under their gazes.

"Please," I begged, my voice a pitiful croak, "please don't hurt me. I don't have any money or anything with me, so please, just let me go,"

The man who still had me pinned to the wall, released my right arm and almost tenderly swiped his hand along my cheek. I shuddered. "Honey," his hot breath whispered in my ear, "We don't want your money," I filled my lungs, opened my mouth and screamed the loudest I had screamed in my life. The other men laughed,

"No one's gonna hear you sweet pea, No one's out tonight except you," he trailed off suggestively, "and us."

"And me" The voice came from behind the men; a velvety, dangerous sound. All three men turned to look at the new arrival.

"Please," I cried, recognizing an escape, "Help me!" I could barely make out this new man, he was bathed in shadow, but I sensed him and caught a glimpse of his pale skin. The linebacker-type man retained his constricting hold on my arms. The other two men from his group began to advance on the stranger.

"Let the poor girl go," he commanded, standing his ground and refusing to back away from the dangerous men. I was watching him in earnest now. He would save me, I felt sure of it. The first man turned his attention back to me, preferring to let his friends deal with the nuisance of this savior. He reached for my top and began to undo the buttons, one by one; he was teasing me with his gentleness.

"I said let her go," the same voice growled.

"Finder's keepers," my captor replied juvenilely, "You can have her when I'm done." Then the gentleness was gone. He was tearing at my clothes and pressing himself closer and closer. The wall behind me was digging into my back and my hair was catching on the bricks.

"Stop! Please, please help me!" I screamed again. There was a crashing sound as the first two men hit the brick wall next to me, then I had fallen to the ground. Nothing was holding me up anymore. The linebacker was flying several feet in the air towards the end of the alley. I dared a look up. My rescuer was smashing the nearest attacker into the brick wall repeatedly. His pale hands were covered with blood from the skull that was currently residing in them. And then right in front of me, he bent his head and pressed his lips to the man's forehead which was gushing blood. There was a slurping noise and with a shock, I realized that he was _drinking_ the blood. My eyes grew wide. He was greedily sucking the man dry and seemed to have drained him in seconds. The man's accomplice, watching the horrific event play out, fled the scene. The other man, the one who had threatened me so frighteningly was about to follow suit when my rescuer, who was now beginning to look more like a villain, appeared by his side and threw him against the wall as he had done to me just moments before.

"How does it feel? To be within an inch of your life and know that you can do nothing?" The pale-skinned man asked before he completely dismembered the body and drank his blood.

After his thirst had been quenched, he raised his eyes to me. The black eyes were rimmed with maroon. He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen, even in his terrifying fury. Somehow we'd traveled back to the mouth of the alley and the blinding moon, recently released from it's sojourn in the clouds, cast an eerie glow on this angelic demon who I called my rescuer. His nostrils were flared and his fists clenched. He was furious but more than that, he looked pained as if some inner turmoil was ripping at him from inside. A tear-shaped drop of blood trickled down his chin and his pink tongue darted out to catch it before it could escape too far. I was beginning to wonder if my original captors hadn't been preferable to this new monster who was now intently studying me. He sucked in an endless breath through his nose, eyes rolled back in their sockets as if smelling something heavenly. His eyes returned to their position of staring at me, they were frenzied.

Silence, except for the rapid beating of my heart. He took a step towards me, I countered with a shaky step back. The silence was deafening. I felt the need to break it. What was the point of saving me if he was just going to kill me? So I said the only thing I could think of.

"Thank you," my voice was no louder than a breath, but he seemed to have heard. He stopped mid-step. My words seemed to have brought him out of a trance. His eyes began to look less wild, more focused.

"You shouldn't be here," His voice was honey melting in my ear. He continued to stare, his hypnotizing eyes captivated me. The war that was raging inside of him seemed to swell unbearably so. He was losing the battle. His eyes began to look untamed again. When I made no move to leave, his jaw clenched, his eyes clamped shut. In a strangled voice he whispered one word. One word that set me in motion. "Run"

I ran. Not even sparing one backward glance. My feet carried me through the alley, past the useless streetlight and onto my road. I clutched the stitch that was forming in my side but refused to slow my pace. My legs were burning and my lungs were gasping for air by the time I finally made it home. I took the stairs two at a time, anxious to get out of the dark stairwell and made it to the fifth floor. I fished for my key in my pocket and jammed it clumsily into the lock. Collapsing into the door, it banged against the stop and slammed back into the frame. I flipped the lock and slammed the deadbolt in place. I slid down the wall, not having enough energy to even make it to the couch.

I reached up above my head and flicked the light switch. The room was suddenly bathed in yellow light. I'd had enough darkness for one day. My hands were trembling, my whole body was shaking. I suppose it was to be expected. I wondered idly if I was going into shock.

When my breathing returned to normal and the pain in my side dissipated, I picked myself off the floor and made my way to the bathroom. My face looked gaunt, too pale even for me, and my hair was sticking out at all angles. I let the water in the shower heat up as I stripped off my torn and soiled clothes. I was right; my white arm already had five violet-colored circles imprinted into my flesh. Luckily the skin wasn't broken. I felt the back of my head, just to be sure; it had been slammed into the brick pretty forcefully, but all that I found was a few loose chocolate-colored strands. My methodical check-up complete, I carefully stepped into the shower. I slowly began to fall apart.


End file.
